Many people think they lack motivation when what they really lack is
clarity. It is not always obvious when and where to take action. Some
people spend their entire lives waiting for the time to be right to make an
improvement.
Once an implementation intention has been set, you don’t have to wait
for inspiration to strike. Do I write a chapter today or not? Do I meditate
this morning or at lunch? When the moment of action occurs, there is no
need to make a decision. Simply follow your predetermined plan.
The simple way to apply this strategy to your habits is to fill out
this sentence:
I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION].Meditation. I will meditate for one minute at 7 a.m. in my kitchen.
Studying. I will study Spanish for twenty minutes at 6 p.m. in my
bedroom.
Exercise. I will exercise for one hour at 5 p.m. in my local gym.
Marriage. I will make my partner a cup of tea at 8 a.m. in the kitchen.If you aren’t sure when to start your habit, try the first day of the week,
month, or year. People are more likely to take action at those times because
hope is usually higher. If we have hope, we have a reason to take action. A
fresh start feels motivating.
There is another benefit to implementation intentions. Being specific
about what you want and how you will achieve it helps you say no to things
that derail progress, distract your attention, and pull you off course. We
often say yes to little requests because we are not clear enough about what
we need to be doing instead. When your dreams are vague, it’s easy to
rationalize little exceptions all day long and never get around to the specific
things you need to do to succeed.
Give your habits a time and a space to live in the world. The goal is to
make the time and location so obvious that, with enough repetition, you get
an urge to do the right thing at the right time, even if you can’t say why. As
the writer Jason Zweig noted, “Obviously you’re never going to just work